Lemsip whilst breastfeeding - what an idiot

[TrinaW]

I am so stupid - have a stinking cold and so merrily started having lemsip without checking whether I could use it whilst breastfeeding... until now. And you can't. I've had one a day for four days whilst breastfeeding my nine week old DD and am now freaking out. Dr Google informs me that milk supply could suffer - this hasn't been a problem (DP jokes that I have enough milk to feed a small baby army, and in fairness, he's probably correct) but I'm worried that it will affect DD. She seems ok - maybe a bit more sleepy. She did nine hours in a row last night (she has been sleeping for six/seven regularly for a few weeks now) but I'm a first time mum, freaking out and wondering whether I should call NHS Direct (again).

Help - any ideas about how it might affect her or anything I should look out for?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I think phenylephrine is ok if breast feeding. Paracetamol definitely is. What kind of lemsip were you taking?

decongestants

It was the Max stuff...

It affects milk supply, not baby, so if your supply is fine - relax :) But avoid in future.

She's probably sleeping longer because her tummy is getting bigger, she may be more sleepy in general because she is coming down with your cold. Or you may just be looking for symptoms where there are none.

You can't take it whilst breastfeeding?! Oh bugger, I didn't even think of checking; I drank half my body weight of it last week.

I shouldn't google, should I? DS seems fine...

Thank you, Bertie and Bagel, for calming a hysterical first-timer. I'll cross this off my worry list and definitely be more careful from now on.

xxx

Ah, just properly read bertie's post. No more lempsip for me then...!

Just take whisky, honey, lemon & hot water with a Paracetamol instead.

There are paracetamol only lemsips iirc. And a glass of hot lemon and a couple of paracetamol do the same job. But psychologically, my mil for example feels much better after a lemsip so the paracetamol free ones might be the way to go.

I made the mistake of taking aspirin while bfing. I just did not think. I had a migraine. I always take aspirin for a migraine. I've made a point of checking every single medicine now for suitability. Even strepsils. Which you can't have I discovered.

According to kellymom lempsip would be moderately safe for acute use. As others have said if your milk supply hasn't suffered then don't worry. I personally would also take it if I was really suffering.

No strepsils either?! I didn't take those but will properly start checking from now on...

You can have soothers, halls etc though.

Its a good job I didn't know all that, usually do the Whiskey &hot lemon, but have had strepsis & lemsip, he's fine tho..

Strepsils not strepsis, but you kwim

Lloyds do an own brand version thats just paracetamol.

Gosh, I take anything I can buy in Boots tbh!

Why are asprin, lemsip and strepsils banned? Do they affect the baby in any way? (genuine question)

I think there are some anti-depressants and other quite serious drugs that you can take when breastfeeding so I am surprised these over the counter drugs are a problem?

I believe the risk of decongestants effecting milk supply is theoretical rather than proven anyway, so I wouldn't worry.

The issue is more than OTC medicines havne't been proven safe (can't test them on pregnant/breastfeeding women) rather than are definitely dangerous.